Are enlarged pores irreversible? Don’t panic, there is still a cure for pore problems

Have you ever observed your pores? Do some pores look like grapefruit, some like strawberry, and some like ugly orange?

In fact, on the same face, there may be grapefruit-shaped, strawberry-shaped, and even ugliflower-shaped pores.

Correctly determine which type of pores you have and then prescribe the right remedy, and the pore problem can be alleviated to a certain extent.

We have sorted out several common types of pores and will tell you how to solve the pore problem.

1. What are the types of pores? For most people, there are two main reasons for enlarged pores: too much oil and aging skin. Correspondingly, there are four main types of pores.

01 Excessive oil secretion

The scientific name of pores is sebaceous follicle opening, through which the sebaceous glands continuously transport oil to the outside.

Under normal circumstances, the sebaceous glands produce neither too much nor too little oil, just enough to meet our skin's moisturizing needs.

But when the skin is irritated, or the body's daily routine and diet change, it will secrete a lot of oil, and the sebaceous gland ducts begin to expand in order to transport the oil. Over time, the pores become larger.

This is why children's skin is so smooth, but after entering puberty, the pores become gradually more obvious.

In addition, due to the presence of male hormones, boys' oil secretion will be more abundant than girls, and their pores will be more obvious.

This type of pores is usually concentrated in the T-zone and middle cheeks where oil is more produced.

02 Keratin blockage type

The oil secreted by the sebaceous glands mixes with the shed keratin cells to form keratin plugs at the hair follicle openings, which we commonly call whiteheads/blackheads. These keratin plugs block the hair follicle openings, grow larger, and also enlarge the pores.

This type of pores has keratin plugs and, like the oily type, is concentrated in the middle of the cheek and T-zone.

03 Facial aging type

This type of pores is usually caused by skin aging and loss of collagen, and changes are more obvious between the ages of 30 and 40. They are usually linear or teardrop-shaped, accompanied by sagging skin and wrinkles.

If it is serious, it will be like the ugly orange we put at the beginning...

04 Other types

Water shortage type

Pores caused by skin dehydration are obvious, usually on the sides of the cheeks where oil secretion is low. This type of pores can be well alleviated by doing basic moisturizing.

Inflammatory

Skin inflammation (such as rosacea and red and swollen acne) causes local edema of the skin, which makes the pores appear particularly obvious, and looks a bit like orange peel. Usually, when the skin inflammation improves, the pore problem can be effectively improved.

Hair follicle hypertrophy

Pores are connected to hair follicles. If your hair follicles are naturally enlarged, then your pores will inevitably be larger.

2. Can pores be reduced in size? Our human tissues are elastic, and if you handle them properly, the pores can be reduced in size.

Then why do many people say that, except for medical aesthetics, once pores are enlarged, they cannot be made smaller?

This is because most people deal with it too late! Ah! Pore problems are like falling in love. Occasional quarrels can make the relationship reconcile, but if you quarrel every day...it will be difficult to avoid breaking up.

Only by taking measures when the pores are not yet obvious can we nip them in the bud.

3. How to prevent pores from getting bigger? 01 Excessive oil secretion If your pores are caused by excessive oil secretion, the solution is very simple. Just remember one principle: control oil.

Adjust your diet and work and rest regularly

An unhealthy diet (high in oil, low in fiber, high in sugar, and high in calories) and irregular work and rest schedules (staying up late) will make the sebaceous glands become hyperactive and secrete a large amount of oil.

For the sake of your face and health, you might as well eat less barbecue, fat house happy water, and milk tea, and try to go to bed early and get up early. Your skin will tell you that it's all worth it.

Don't wash your face with water that is too hot

Many people with oily skin like to wash their faces with warm water, thinking that this is a good way to remove oil. However, water that is too hot will make the sebaceous glands become hyperactive, and the more you wash, the oilier your skin will become. The most suitable water for washing your face should be neither too hot nor too cold, and just the right temperature to touch.

Avoid dairy products

Casein and whey protein in dairy products will increase the insulin growth factor (IGF-1) in the blood, which will increase sebum secretion. If you have very oily skin and usually eat a lot of dairy products, you might as well try to quit for a while to see if the effect is.

Fermentation destroys IGF-1, so fermented dairy products such as yogurt will not increase sebum secretion. Friends who love to drink milk can use low-sugar/sugar-free yogurt as a substitute.

02 Cuticle-clogged type If you have excess oil and pore-clogging problems due to cuticles, then in addition to doing the above two points, you must also exfoliate regularly.

Use a cleansing mask

Using a gentle and effective cleansing mask can temporarily remove blackheads/whiteheads in the pores and prevent the pores from getting bigger.

We have previously reviewed 12 cleansing masks. Considering their effectiveness and safety, we recommend these three:

Acid brushing

Acid products can exfoliate the dead skin on the surface of the skin, thereby preventing the formation of keratin plugs.

However, acid is highly irritating to the skin, so remember to use it step by step, starting with low concentration.

We have written a comprehensive guide for beginners to acid removal. Friends who are acid removal should remember to read it:

03 Facial aging type To solve this type of pores, the purpose is to fight against aging:

Sun protection

Ultraviolet rays not only make us darker and develop spots, but also make our skin age, produce wrinkles and sag. Therefore, sun protection is the basis for skin anti-aging.

We have reviewed 45 sunscreens this year. Here are the recommended products:

If you really don’t like applying sunscreen, then you might consider hard sun protection: sun hats, sun masks, and sun umbrellas.

As long as you use them consistently, these sunscreen products are effective.

Anti-aging skin care products

Some skin care products with anti-aging ingredients (such as retinol, vitamin E, vitamin C, astaxanthin, phosphatidylcholine, etc.) can also relieve skin aging and prevent the formation of pores.

Home Beauty Devices

Currently, radio frequency beauty devices are more widely used, which can stimulate the regeneration of collagen and thus prevent pores formed due to collagen loss.

We have previously reviewed three beauty devices that feature radio frequency technology (Zhou S, Ya M, and Tr*p*llar Stop Vx).

Judging from the results, as long as they are used consistently, they will play a certain role in stimulating collagen regeneration and improving skin elasticity.

4. How to reduce pores? If your pores are already quite obvious, you may need to resort to some medical beauty treatments.

For pores caused by excessive oil secretion, you can first control the oil and then shrink the pores.

Treatments such as photorejuvenation and acid peeling can reduce oil production, while treatments such as fractional laser and microneedle can shrink pores.

The principles of the latter two are similar, both of which create some trauma on the skin surface to stimulate the regeneration of skin collagen and thus shrink pores.

Laser dot matrix principle

Lasers are divided into ablative fractional (carbon dioxide/erbium laser fractional, plasma ion beam) and non-ablative fractional. The former is more effective but requires a longer recovery period.

Microneedles are divided into ordinary microneedles and gold microneedles. The latter has an additional radio frequency function than ordinary microneedles, which has better effects, but is more expensive and requires a longer recovery period.

Pores caused by facial aging can be solved through some anti-aging projects. For example, radio frequency, photorejuvenation, and gold microneedle therapy all have the effect of stimulating collagen regeneration.

Different skin conditions will have different suitable projects. It is recommended that you choose a specific medical beauty project after a face-to-face consultation at a regular hospital or institution and follow the doctor's advice.

In addition, we would also like to remind everyone: Although medical beauty is effective, it is like a strong medicine. If you want to maintain your pores in good condition, you also need to pay attention to daily maintenance.

5. Misconceptions about pore shrinking Although many people have been dealing with pores for several years or even more than ten years, they are still familiar yet unfamiliar with them.

We have sorted out some of the most frequently asked questions and answered them in one place:

Finally, we want to tell you: In fact, in the medical field, there is no such disease as enlarged pores.

In other words, enlarged pores are not a serious matter, and can even be said to be a waste of time.

For most people, pores are invisible to the naked eye under social distance. If you think your pores are a little enlarged, it may just be because you are too close when looking in the mirror...

Put the mirror further away and the world will be a better place.

If you feel that your pores are really serious and you cannot accept it, we would like to remind you:

Apart from medical aesthetics, other methods cannot make pores completely invisible, but can only delay the enlargement of pores or improve them to normal conditions.

Be patient, give your skin some time, and don't rush it.

References:

[1] Zhang Yuanwen, Pan Wendong. Advances in the treatment of enlarged facial pores[J]. Chinese Journal of Dermatology, 2019, 052(011):852-855.

[2] Yu Wenxin, Ma Gang, Lin Xiaoxi. Progress in photoacoustic electrotherapy for enlarged facial pores[J]. Chinese Journal of Laser Medicine, 2020, v.29(05):47-50.